1 This material was produced under grant [SH22236SH1]from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government

Take a few minutes and answer the quiz questions to the best of your ability 2

 Ergonomic  Sharps / Lacerations  Slips, Trips and Falls  Struck by (Carts, Jacks, Customers, etc.) 3

“The scientific discipline concerned with understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, methods and data to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance”. Ergonomics means “fitting the job to the worker” From the Greek Ergos = Work Nomos = Laws ERGONOMICS =“THE LAWS OF WORK” Source : International Ergonomics Association (IEA) in 2000 (applies only to definition) 4

 Helps to prevent injuries  Improve quality of work and life  Reduce fatigue and discomfort  Increased productivity and efficiency  Improved morale and job satisfaction  Reduced turnover 5

 Disorders of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage, or spinal discs  Disorders that are not typically the result of any instantaneous or acute event (such as a slip, trip or fall)  Disorders diagnosed by medical history or physical exam  Disorders with several distinct features (carpal tunnel syndrome) as well as disorders defined primarily by the location of pain (low back pain) 6 Source: “Elements of Ergonomics Programs” DHHS-NIOSH. Pub. No

 WMSDs are also known as:  Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs)  Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSIs)  Overuse injuries  They are soft tissue injuries which occur gradually 7

 Discomfort  Pain  Numbness  Tingling  Inflammation 8 Burning Swelling Change in color Tightness, loss of flexibility Fingers blanch or turn white

 Heavy, Frequent, or Awkward Lifting  Forceful Excertions  Working in Awkward Postures  Hand Intensive Work  Contact Stress  Repetitive Motion  Exposure to Vibration 9

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 Forceful Exertions  Repetitive Motions  Awkward Postures  Contact Stress 11

Risk of injury depends upon:  Duration of exposure  Frequency of exposure  Intensity of exposure  Combinations of risk factors 12

 Hierarchy of Controls  Engineering Controls  Administrative Controls  Personal Protective Equipment 13

 Spring loaded pallets to reduce bending  Adjustable registers that raise and lower for different workers 14

 Placing heavy items at waist height to reduce bending and reaching  Job rotation  Providing Training 15

 Wrist brace  Slip resistant shoes  Knee pads 16

 Work in groups to come up with as many Engineering Controls, Administrative Controls and Personal Protective Equipment used throughout your store. 17

 Duration – the length of exposure to a risk factor  Can be all at one time or cumulative over the day, months or even years of exposure to ergonomic risk factors before it becomes a concern. 18

Frequency is often a concern in:  Assembly tasks  Sorting tasks  Loading or off-loading materials  Inventorying products  Product stocking  Keying/typing or frequent mousing 19

Intensity refers to:  weight in pounds of items lifted or carried  grip or pinch force of lifted or manipulated items  force on keys when typing 20

21 Heavy, frequent or awkward lifting

22 There are only recommendations for maximum weight a person can lift.

Lifting more than twice per minute 23

Lifting above the shoulders, below the knees or at arms’ length 24

25 Use carts, handtrucks, hoists, conveyors or other mechanical assistance Slide objects instead of lifting them Store heavy items where you won’t have to bend or reach to lift them Use forklifts or other mechanical equipment to get items down from high shelves

26 Automated Cart Pusher

27 Awkward postures Extended reaching Bending or twisting of the trunk Working with arms away from the body Kneeling or squatting

28 Standing neutral posture Seated neutral posture

29 Too low Too high Too far away

30 Awkward Postures - Low work Bending Kneeling Squatting

 Raise and/or tilt the work for better access  Use a stool for ground level work  Use tools with longer handles  Alternate between bending, kneeling, sitting, and squatting 31

32 Ergonomics at Work - Reducing low work

33 Awkward Postures - High work

 Use an elevated work platform or rolling stairs  Use tools with longer handles  Limit overhead storage to infrequently used items  Bring the work down and tilt for easier access 34

35 Ergonomics at Work - Reducing high work

36 Ergonomics at Work - Reducing high work

37 Awkward Postures - Reaching

 Keep items within close reach (design reach distance for the shortest worker)  Remove obstacles  Use gravity feed racks 38

39 Ergonomics at Work - Reducing reaching

40 Hand Intensive Work

41 Repetitive motions Hand Intensive Work

42 Making the same motion repeatedly can cause a lot of wear and tear on the joints being used, and if you don’t rest to allow time for them to heal, the damage can just keep building up.

 Arrange work to avoid unnecessary motions  Let power tools and machinery do the work  Spread repetitive work out during the day  Take stretch pauses  Rotate task with co-workers if possible  Change hands or motions frequently 43

44 A power grip is 5 times stronger than a pinch grip =

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47 Your grip strength decreases when you: Bend your wrists Pick up slippery items Wear poorly fitting gloves Have cold hands

48 Risk of injury goes up as you combine factors Repetition Gripping or Pinching Bent wrists Repetition Gripping or Pinching Repetition Risk

 OSHA has developed industry- or task-specific guidelines for a number of industries based on current incidence rates and available information about effective and feasible solutions  OSHA is conducting inspections for ergonomic hazards and issues citations under the General Duty Clause and issues alert letters where appropriate  OSHA is providing assistance to business to help them proactively address ergonomic issues in the workplace  OSHA has chartered an advisory committee to identify gaps in research and application of ergonomics and ergonomic principles in the workplace 49

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 Recognize and report signs and symptoms early  Get involved in ergonomics (learn basic ergonomic principles)  Recognize ergonomic hazards  Learn proper work practices and techniques  Use personal protection on the job 51

Report signs or symptoms if:  Pain is persistent, severe or worsening  Pain radiates  Symptoms include numbness or tingling  Symptoms keep you from sleeping at night  Fingers blanch or turning white 52

 Acute injuries can easily become chronic injuries and can sometimes lead to disability, even surgery  Early treatment save time and money and can help return to work early 53

 Look at jobs  Come up with solutions  Work with solutions  Take part in training  Take responsibility for changing the way you do your job  Help to make sure efforts are successful 54